“And she realizes Gwynedd is currently infested with a plague?” The Haldane looked nonplussed.

“She says she knows a few measures to decrease the risk of herself and her son falling ill, my Prince, but that she knows of none guaranteed to keep a determined Teymuraz out of her bed.” A wry smile. “She seems rather terrified of that prospect. Having met the man, I can’t say that I blame her, really.”

Kelson pushed his plate away with a grimace. ‘Thank you, Alaric, that’s enough to put me off breakfast, I think.” He stood, glancing at Araxie and Dhugal in silent invitation. “All right, let’s go see why a Furstána is appealing to me for help instead of to Liam-Lajos.”

#

The Haldane's steely-gray eyes regarded her warily. She knew it was he, even before she noted the crimson of his tunic with the Lion of Gwynedd couched upon it with gold embroidery. He wore his power like a mantle. Mirjana rose unsteadily from the Tower bench beside the pallet where her son lay in an exhausted sleep. Briefly she lay a fingertip on his forehead, setting controls to keep him in deep sleep so that he might not be disturbed by whatever might happen in the next few minutes.

The man who stood on one side of the King was a Duke, Mirjana could tell. Even though he was not in formal dress, subtle emblems of his rank were woven into the trim of his black tunic and the strawberry leaves of Ducal rank were etched discreetly on the deceptively simple coronet he wore on his braided copper-bronze hair. She recognized this man as one of the three who had come to arrest her the evening before.

The golden-haired woman standing a short distance behind him was also Deryni, Mirjana knew, but her rank and place in the Haldane's court was less apparent. She wore no obvious symbols of title or rank save for a simple coronet holding in place the silken veil she wore over her bound hair. A married woman, then, of high rank.

Normally, Mirjana would accord a foreign king a deep and respectful curtsey, but no greater show of servility than that. Today, however, she was well aware that her life and that of her young son could well be forfeit because of her husband’s actions. So instead, she prostrated herself on the floor before him in deepest humility.

“My Lord King of Gwynedd, I throw myself upon your mercy for myself and for my son. There are no excuses for the treachery that my husband and his companions plotted against you, but I beg you to be lenient with my son for the sake of his tender years! He has no part in his father’s deeds; I pray you spare his life for the sake of the love you are said to bear for my cousin Liam-Lajos.”

“I do not take vengeance on small children, my Lady,” the Haldane said. “Nor do I exact it upon innocent women, If in truth you are innocent of complicity in your husband’s deeds, which remains to be proven to my satisfaction.”

“I know, Your Majesty,” Mirjana replied, her tight voice barely able to speak above a whisper, “yet I would prove my innocence in this matter and my good faith towards the Crown of Gwynedd in any way you might demand of me. Truth-Read my words, my Lord King, and Mind-See all that I know of my husband’s doings, for I place myself completely in your power. I knew Nikos for an evil man—Holy Jesú knows, no one knew that better than I!—and I knew him to be in league with those who wish you harm, but as for specific knowledge of his plans, I knew naught. We…didn’t have the sort of relationship that would make him wish to confide his plans to me.”

She knew he was Truth-Reading her even as she spoke, although no hint of his own thoughts showed on his face, and his mind was tightly shielded. “I will, of course, hold you to that offer to let us Mind-See what you know, both for your protection and for my own. But my Champion has informed me that you are requesting another boon aside from the mere sparing of your life and that of your son. Why is it that you are seeking sanctuary here in Gwynedd, rather than in the Court of your cousin Liam-Lajos, to whom you claim to be loyal?”

Mirjana swallowed, willing down her nervousness. “Your Majesty of Gwynedd, I know Laji…Liam-Lajos to be King in truth now as well as just in name, but he is still fairly young and untested. I am loyal to him, as was my father’s house, but I have not seen him since we were young children together, before he was…fostered in your Court. I believe he would keep faith with me for the love he once bore my father, who was ever his loyal liegeman, yet I know well the intrigues and the machinations of the Torenthi Court, and I do not know enough of Liam-Lajos’ strength as King yet to know if he can truly protect me and my son from those who would harm us, although I trust that he would try. I…also have not been in Torenth since it was under a regency, held in Duke Mahael’s grip. I do not know anymore which courtiers I can trust, and which ones might be induced to return me to Teymuraz, should they discover I have…some small value to him.”

She dared not look up at the Haldane King, yet she could sense him studying her. At last, he sighed. “You may rise, My Lady.” Mirjana did so, but only to her knees, sitting back on her heels with her head bowed before the man who held her life in his hands.

“What value do you have to Teymuraz?” he asked, his eyes fixed upon her veiled face. She felt her face warm, ducked her head even lower to hide her shame.

“He…desires me, Your Majesty.” Anger rose up within her at the thought. “Yet I will not have him. Any other man in the Eleven Kingdoms but that one! I would rather die.”

The Haldane eyes surveyed her, seemingly impassive. “Liam-Lajos is your overlord, not me. If we find your memories are in accord with what you have told us, then your life shall be spared. But you shall be his responsibility, not mine.”

#

The clear green eyes looked up at Kelson, stricken to the core, filling with tears of despair. Although she had lowered her shields to him willingly when he had first begun to question her, wishing him to know the full truth of her words, now her shields went back up again, a protective gesture Kelson sensed was more instinctive than controlled, attempting to hide the sudden upwelling of emotion roiling within her.

“Please, Your Majesty!” The Lady ducked her head, dark lashes veiling the tear-brightened eyes. With shaking hands, she slipped the eastern-style veiling off, revealing a loosely bound braid of glorious raven hair and dusky rose color rising in her cheeks, putting him suddenly in mind of Rothana all those years ago, in that one intimate garden tryst they’d shared before he rode off on his knight’s quest. Her next words, however, dispelled the brief illusion. “I will…do whatever you require of me in return for your protection.” Her voice broke, and she paused a moment to regain control. “Do you…require a concubine?”

Sweet Jesú, no, he did not require a concubine! How desperate was this woman, to offer herself so? Clearly, judging from the effort of will it had taken for her to make the offer, he need not flatter himself by thinking she was throwing herself at him out of desire.

“It is not the custom in the Haldane Court to maintain a harem,” the Queen informed the traitor’s wife. “Nor do I believe my husband is in great need of a concubine.” There was a hint of humor in her voice, although it held a keen edge as well.

The Lady before them wilted. “Forgive me, Your Majesties. I…did not realize. If you have no place for me at your Court, then at least might you find a place of protection for my son? I know he is too young to be a page, but…there must be something! If I must return to Torenth, I would at least see him safe. There is nothing for him there, for his father’s lands were forfeited by his actions before my son was even born. Please do not hold my husband’s treachery, or my…my own error against him.” She risked an apologetic look up at the Queen. “If you have a son you hold dear, please understand my need!”

#

“Well, that was…unexpected,” Kelson muttered to his Queen once they had left the Tower cell and were safely out of earshot of their prisoner.

“You weren’t in hopes of starting a harem, were you?” Araxie asked, her gray eyes containing a hint of laughter.

Her husband chuckled a bit self-consciously. “No! One woman is quite enough.” He shot a teasing look at her. “Holy Writ says no man can serve two masters.” He sighed. “What are we going to do with her, though?”

“I suppose that depends on what Dhugal discovers, doesn’t it?” Araxie said. She looked up at Dhugal, who had agreed to be the one to Mind-See Lady Mirjana and, while he was doing so, also check for any controls or compulsions that either Nikos or Teymuraz might have managed to set in her without her knowledge or consent. Setting such controls on a non-compliant Deryni would have been far more difficult than on a mere human, but not impossible. Araxie had also offered to assist him, both as a second set of senses that might spot what the other missed, and also to serve as chaperone, in deference to the fact that the prisoner was a lady and the proprieties must be observed.

The Duke sighed. He had no relish for the work ahead, but it must be done, and the sooner it was gotten out of the way, the better for all concerned. “Shall we go ahead and get it out of the way, then, Your Majesty?” he asked Araxie.

“Yes, let’s.” She frowned. “I hope she’s every bit as innocent as she claims to be. I feel quite sorry for her. I very much doubt she's had the sort of life a young maiden hopes for when she dreams of what marriage and a husband might be like.”

#

The prisoner looked up at the door to her cell reopened. Dhugal re-entered along with Kelson's Queen. Mirjana averted her eyes, her cheeks flushing anew.

“You are here to Mind-See the truth of my words, then?” Mirjana asked, already fairly sure of the answer. She risked a quick look at the Duke before dropping her gaze back down to her folded hands.

“I am, my Lady.” He glanced at Araxie. “Her Majesty has also agreed to take part, both to ensure that I'm thorough enough in my sifting and to see you properly chaperoned.”

“I am most grateful,” the traitor's widow said softly. She looked apprehensive, though whether this was because she feared the discovery of some secret, or simply due to the natural apprehension of allowing a stranger into the privacy of her mind was impossible to guess.

Dhugal took a seat on the bench beside Mirjana, not quite looking at her, allowing her that small illusion of privacy at least. “I realize this is invasive, and I regret the necessity. I shall probe as deeply as I must to ensure that what you have told us is true, and that there are no further threats to the King or Kingdom's safety. But what I may safely allow to leave unsifted, I shall.”

The young woman nodded slowly. “You must do as you must, and so shall I.” She extended a hand shyly to him. He took it, extending his senses, feeling her shields drop as his first questing probe brushed up against them. Hers was a well-ordered mind, bespeaking a fairly high level of training, although not quite as high as Dhugal had expected to find in a lady born into even a minor branch of the House of Furstán.

#

Mirjana tried to hide her nervousness, but with shields down, this was next to impossible, so instead, she tried simply to focus on something else. The growing heat of the room as the time crept slowly towards the noon hour. The richly embroidered hem of the Queen's gown in the periphery of her vision. The warmth of the man's hand clasping hers as he probed deeply into her mind. Although Teymuraz had once attempted a quick grab for her when they were briefly alone together, no man had been permitted such close prolonged contact with her in the past five years save for Nikos. She had nearly forgotten any man's touch could be so gentle.

A part of herself was aware of what memories the Duke was accessing, of course, but she deliberately tried not to think of those, not wishing to relive even one moment of the past four years that had been a living hell for her. Instead, she tried as best she could to focus outwards, at the copper-bronze club of braided hair bound at the nape of this man's neck—a fashion peculiar to the men of Gwynedd's border regions, she dimly recalled from her reading, when reading had still been permitted for her. She tried to remember how many Dukes the Kingdom of Gwynedd had; fewer than Torenth, if she was remembering her childhood lessons properly. Was it three or four? She knew this was not the Duke of Corwyn—no, that had been the golden-haired man who had led the raid on their shelter in the mountains the night before. Even in her native Arjenol, Alaric Morgan had a certain notoriety. She had recognized him almost immediately from the descriptions she had heard of him.

No, this was a Border Duke. Claibourne, then, or perhaps Cassan.

The amber eyes caught hers, the mouth below them smiling faintly. “I'm the Duke of Cassan, my Lady. I apologize; I imagine you would want to know who you're allowing to go poking about in your mind.”

She dropped her gaze from his shiral eyes, embarrassed that her thoughts had been intercepted so easily, although with most of her thoughts unshielded, this should not have been such a surprise. Was this what it would be like to be mere human? She could not imagine how much more nightmarish her life with Nikos might have been were it not for the ability to retreat behind tight shields. She could tell the Cassani Duke was doing his best to sift through her mind with as much courtesy as the circumstances would allow, allowing her the dignity of leaving the most intimate details of her life private behind her innermost shields, although she assumed the Queen would probably wish to take at least a cursory peek through those as well. No telling what the traitor Nikos might have deigned to share with his wife in their bedchamber, after all...at least, if they'd been a normal couple with a normal marriage, instead of a near slave shackled against her will to a demon from the nethermost regions of Hell.

She looked up to find the amber eyes searching her face with a slight frown. Some bit of that last thought must have leaked through their link, then. Mirjana blushed, and tried not to think at all.

#

“So, what have we discovered?” Kelson looked around at the people seated at his Council table. Sir Seisyll Arilan, looking more drained than Kelson remembered ever seeing him, sat next to Duke Alaric Morgan, who also appeared weary, if not sporting the same dark circles under his eyes that Seisyll wore. Duke Dhugal MacArdry McLain sat on Kelson's left, and Queen Araxie was on his right. Duke Graham MacEwan of Claibourne, now taking his late father Ewan's place on the Council, and Bishop Duncan McLain, serving in his capacity as the Auxiliary Bishop of Rhemuth, completed their number. The rest of their usual membership were either away from Rhemuth at present, in the throes of the fever-flux, or still recovering from it.

“Based on the Death-Reading I did on Nikos von Brustarkia, and the corroborating evidence gleaned from the two Deryni prisoners we captured yesterday, it seems clear that Teymuraz was behind this attempt on your life, my Prince.” Alaric Morgan's eyes narrowed. “It would seem that his plan was to weaken the stability of the Haldane succession, laying the groundwork for a more direct invasion later once the plague subsides.” The Duke's gray eyes met the King's squarely. “And there's more. It would seem that the introduction of the fever-flux to our shores was not accidental, nor are the climactic conditions which have allowed its spread. That stage of the plot can be laid at Teymuraz' door directly. Lord Nikos did not have the arcane training to do that level of working.”

“Were you able to find out where he is now?” Kelson asked.

“Interrogation of the prisoners reveals that Teymuraz tended to come and go from the Autun base, presumably returning to his home in Byzantyun, although that was simply speculation on their part,” Seisyll reported. “Neither of the live prisoners seems to know precisely how to get back to Byzantyun via Transfer Portal either. They were led to the one on that end blindfolded, and weren't allowed to memorize its signature before Teymuraz brought them through to Autun. My guess is that Teymuraz kept that knowledge from them because it would lead straight back to someplace he didn't want them—or perhaps us—to have direct access to, but they were lower-level henchmen; perhaps Nikos might have known?” The King's special agent glanced at Duke Alaric.

“If he did, unfortunately that wasn't one of the memories I managed to retrieve as he was dying.” A glance at Duke Dhugal, who also shook his head, confirmed that he hadn't either.

“So we know Teymuraz was behind both the plague's spread and the attempt of my life, but we don't have any direct access back to him now that he has apparently fled back to Byzantyun?” Kelson summed up. “All right, I suppose we shall have to wait and see if he shows his hand again. Not just wait, of course.” He glanced at Seisyll. “I'm sure you'll have your eyes and ears looking for signs of him. But he's lost this round and hopefully will make some other mistake in future that will lead us back to him.”

“We presume he's lost this round, Sire,” Seisyll said with a frown. “But what if he was simply testing our capabilities this time, in the same way one starts out a Duel Arcane with testing spells before starting the battle in earnest?”

“Also a possibility, but the more we can learn about him and his capabilities, the better we'll be able to defend against him.” Kelson looked at Dhugal and Araxie. “And what of our other prisoner, the Lady Mirjana? Did her story stand up?”

The Queen nodded. “Dhugal and I both Mind-sifted her. We believe she was innocent of any complicity in the plots against us. We also found no signs that any compulsions have been planted in her that would make her a threat to us in future.”

Dhugal frowned slightly. “She truly believes both she and her son would be in great danger if she returns to the Court of Torenth, and after Mind-Seeing her memories, I tend to concur. She grew up, for the most part, during the recent regency period. While her loyalties are to Liam-Lajos, Mahael and the Court as it was set up under his rule are all she's ever known since early childhood, and by the time Liam-Lajos came into his Kingdom and Mahael was executed for his attempt to betray his rightful liegelord, the Lady Mirjana had already been taken from the Kingdom against her will. She doesn't know this new Court of Torenth, doesn't know who among the current courtiers are her true friends or foes. The Torenthi Court being what it is, of course, she was never entirely sure even before, but now...it would be like sending an inexperienced swimmer into shark-infested waters and expecting her to get across the channel safely.” He shrugged. “She may well wish to return to her homeland someday, but not until it's more secure than it is now in the early years of Liam-Lajos' reign. Definitely not while Teymuraz is still in the picture, with his secret supporters. And even if she does, there's not much for her to go home to. Her father is dead, so she has no immediate protector, and her husband was both traitor and outlaw, so her son has no lands to inherit unless Liam-Lajos should choose to grant the boy lands despite his father's crimes.”

“I understand the problems, Dhugal, but granting her request for sanctuary here brings up certain problems of its own. What room can I make for a traitor's wife within my Court, without anyone to vouch for her loyalty? Not that I hold her husband's actions against her, but who would be responsible for her support and maintenance and that of her son, and how would she be able to prove her innocence in the court of public opinion? She would need to marry, but that in turn brings up more problems. The man she marries would need to be someone known to be completely loyal to me; otherwise her innocence and his fitness to train up her son to be a loyal subject would still be in question. In addition, because she's a Deryni, and one with some formal training, if that were to become known it would be necessary to show that her husband is not someone she could easily influence with her powers, which means he would also need to be Deryni.” Kelson sighed. “I don't exactly have an abundance of unmarried Deryni men I can offer up for consideration.”

Dhugal glanced at Seisyll. “What about Sir Sextus Arilan?”

Seisyll took a deep breath. “Sextus took ill with the fever-flux a week ago. It was the more serious form. He was just starting to show signs of pulling through it when I returned to Rhemuth thinking I would simply be checking in briefly, only to discover the Castle was under lockdown due to Deryni intruders.” He gave Kelson an ironic smile and shrugged. “Since the unexpected side-trip to Autun and the prisoner interrogations have taken up most of my time and energies since then, I've not had a chance to check in at home in the past couple of days to see if he's continued to mend or if he's suffered a relapse. In any case, he's not in any shape to take on a new wife and child at the moment. Maybe in a month or two, assuming he pulls through.”

“I realize th' lad is young, so I hesitate tae mention him, but what about th' Earl o' Marley?” Duke Graham ventured with an apologetic look at Alaric Morgan. “I dinnae think anyone truly doubts young Coris's loyalty tae King and Crown anymore, after th' attempt on th' King's life at th' Hort o' Orsal's Court a few years ago. An' he is of marriageable age now, no' tae mention Deryni.”

“He is,” Alaric grudgingly agreed, “but at fifteen, Brendan is only barely of an age to marry, and at the moment he's still trying to get settled into his full responsibilities as Earl of Marley. Granted, the Lady Mirjana is only a few years older, but we'd not only be asking him to take on a wife, we'd be asking him to take on responsibility for a four-year-old son.” Alaric gave the Council a wry smile. “I took a bride under similar circumstances when I was thirty years old, and learning how to adjust to instant fatherhood was rough at times, even though mine was also a love match. Brendan wouldn't have that advantage, and would be asked to become a stepfather under quite adverse circumstances when he's barely beyond boyhood himself. Certainly he would be able to identify with—what's the Torenthi lad's name again, Dhugal? Mikhail?” At Dhugal's nod, he continued, “But that's still asking quite a lot from an Earl barely into manhood and still learning how to be a man, much less an Earl.”

Kelson was already shaking his head. “I think it would be a good idea for Brendan to get to know the lad, if he remains here in Gwynedd, but no, I don't intend to saddle him with a wife and child before he's fully settled into Marley.” At Alaric's upraised brow, he added “Not that I intend to saddle him with a wife even after that, unless it should become absolutely necessary. Please urge him not to wait until he's thirty to marry, though.” The Haldane eyes teased their lifelong friend. And not to keep mentioning the other woman in his proposal? the Queen silently teased her husband with a sidelong smile. Kelson suppressed a rueful chuckle, studiously avoiding looking at her.

Will I ever live that down, love?

No.

Duke Graham looked around the table, his blue eyes settling on Dhugal. “The Duke o' Cassan is newly widowed, an' his Duchy's succession isnae fully secured yet,” he ventured, though he offered this suggestion even more grudgingly than his last one.

“The Duchess of Cassan died barely over a month ago!” Bishop Duncan objected, a sharp edge to his voice. “Surely you're not suggesting that Dhugal re-wed so soon?”

Well, there's also the problem of her young son. It's a somewhat analogous situation to the old "Countess of Marley and Bran Coris's young heir" problem. While filing Richenda away in a convent might have at least temporarily solved part of the problem (though in a highly unfair way if the woman is truly innocent, yet being in effect incarcerated against her will anyway!), there's still that traitor's son out there needing a proper upbringing. I tend to think the Mirjana and son problem would be looked at similarly, even though there are a few differences...for one thing, Brendan never lost his lands (though Kelson would have been well within his rights to place them under attainder), whereas poor little Mikhail is in even less fortunate circumstances.

Besides which, if Teymuraz does try to come after her, is a convent really going to provide the best protection? Maybe if it's in Llyr, but Gwynedd isn't exactly the land of militant female religious orders. So she's probably safer remaining at Rhemuth Castle as Kelson's ward until he can find someone willing to stand as surety for her.

Another similar couple would be Rothana and young Albin Haldane. As Araxie points out to Rothana in KKB, just because Conall was a traitor doesn't mean that Albin should be locked away and dedicated to the Church if that is not what he wants. "How" the boy is raised to manhood is a critical issue; he is more likely to be a threat as an adult if he perceives himself to have been unjustly dealt with.

Could Mirjana not be placed in a convent, not necessarily as a vowed Sister, but 'filed for reference' as it were, rather than being married off right away?

Or, reading this with marginally more awake eyes now, are you simply asking "Why not put her in a convent in the short term, then come up with a more permanent solution--marriage or whatever--later once there's more time to consider options?"

If that's what's meant, then the problem of proper protection still applies, but rest assured the lady will be given a say in her own future, just as Richenda was. Kelson won't just say, "OK, now that we've killed Hubby #1, you'll marry Hubby #2 in the morning." Even though she might have little to grieve about in losing Nikos, she still needs time to adjust to her changed circumstances and to decide which of the options she'll be given that she wants to pursue.

Or, reading this with marginally more awake eyes now, are you simply asking "Why not put her in a convent in the short term, then come up with a more permanent solution--marriage or whatever--later once there's more time to consider options?"

If that's what's meant, then the problem of proper protection still applies, but rest assured the lady will be given a say in her own future, just as Richenda was. Kelson won't just say, "OK, now that we've killed Hubby #1, you'll marry Hubby #2 in the morning." Even though she might have little to grieve about in losing Nikos, she still needs time to adjust to her changed circumstances and to decide which of the options she'll be given that she wants to pursue.

That's what I meant. And why not place her with Rothana and the Servants of St. Camber? They're housed at St. Hillary's, which means that they will be physically protected, and the Servants are quite capable of providing protection against magical attack.

Hm, that's a thought. She would definitely need a place to live in the short term (I'm sure Kelson doesn't want to keep her locked up in a cell indefinitely once her innocence has been proven!), and St. Hilary's is within the Castle walls. Plus, getting a chance to know Rothana would be an asset; Rothana could definitely identify with her situation, not to mention her more Eastern upbringing.

Hm, that's a thought. She would definitely need a place to live in the short term (I'm sure Kelson doesn't want to keep her locked up in a cell indefinitely once her innocence has been proven!), and St. Hilary's is within the Castle walls. Plus, getting a chance to know Rothana would be an asset; Rothana could definitely identify with her situation, not to mention her more Eastern upbringing.

And she is trained in the use of her Deryni powers--I'm not sure how highly, but better than most in Gwynned--and generally a well-educated woman, so she could earn her keep by teaching.

If you mean Mirjana is, actually she started her training at the normal age in late childhood, but was forced into marriage at such a young age to a man who didn't allow any more training, Dhugal ends up being surprised during his Mind-Seeing of her at how little she does know, considering she's of the House of Furstan. But what she did get a chance to learn, she learned well, so with a bit of work she can be brought up to speed eventually. Fortunately there's a Schola right there designed for such a purpose....

When the Camberian Council finds out about Thorne Hagen's involvement, Hagen will have leave town quickly because he is now a marked man. Now that Teymuraz's assassination attempt has failed, Hagen will have to know that the Council will be after him. I can only imagine what the Council would do to a former member who goes bad. Whatever they do if they catch up to him won't be pretty.